So is the final verdict in? To PTO or not to PTO... that is the question!

Or in your case... to possibly upgrade (after warranty runs out, of course!) to a monster 7520 pump. I've got to believe you are now
well up into the 9-12 GPM range recommended by Bradco for the 509/511 backhoes. Can you live with working at that engine RPM? Did you put your earplugs in?
Your machine (The "Big Red Beast" - non-turbo version) is rated at 11.4 GPM. My machine (Now known as the "Half Red Beast" by comparison) is apparently now rated at 9.5 GPM. Exact engine RPMs corresponding to those two published ratings are still a point for debate. But I'm still thinking that I am a little shy of what the 509 could really do with flow at the higher end of that range and even more... approaching the reported bypass setpoint of 14 GPM. That's what my (currently oversized) gut is telling me.
Someday, I would love to try a 509 or 511 with a PTO pump installed... and I mean a good sized pump. Don't care if the bypass cracks open... I'd really like to know what this BH can do with some
serious hydraulic flow.
Dougster